The Forest
The Forest-By:Tawnypeltlover Heather is a small kittypet that lives near a barn, owned by her Twolegs. She can catch mice to help her Twolegs, and feed herself, since the pellets they give her are disgusting. One day, she sees a black tom, without a collar. She asks who he is, but he just ignores her as he starts to hunt in the barn. When her Twolegs see the tom in the barn, they start to go after him, but the tom holds his ground. As Heather leaps in front of the tom to defend him, Twolegs stop and growl. As they go away, the tom just hisses at her, and pads away with his catch. Heather follows the cat, but gets spotted by other cats while she follows. When the tom stops and sees her, he tells her all about the warrior clans, and Heather wants to join them. Will Heather join the warrior clans and become a warrior? Or will she never be respected by the other cats in her clan? Series-The Heather Series See The Heather Series Characters here-The Heather Series/Characters Prologue Lightning shot through the sky as Heather ran through the long grass as fast as she could, trying to make an escape, but the Twolegs were too fast for her and they caught her. She was taken back to the nest, soaking wet, and staring outside. I have to get out of here somehow! ''Heather thoguht as she watched the rain fall and the lightning crash. Chapter 1 Heather balanced herself on the skinny fence of her nest. She finally sat down, resting her legs from trying to hold her. She stared out into the wide open fields of the wild, and Heather breathed in the fresh air. Being cramped up in the nest all of the time, actually gave her a relief to be outside. Then, Heather leaped off of the fence and headed for the barn, as the Twolegs watched her. When Heather got into the barn, she saw all of the hay stacked around, and the small balls of yellow light, like the sun, on the walls. Heather heard scurrying in a hay stack. She got down low and began crawling silently to the hay stack. Then she could see the long pink tail of a mouse. Heather braced herself, then pounced into the hay and sunk her claws into flesh. She put the freshly killed mouse in her jaws and padded out of the hay, shaking her fur to get the hay off of her fur. She sat down with the moit. She learned how to hunt from watching her Twoleg's old dog. It ran after mice in the barn and caught them when Heather was a small kitten, and Heather hadlearned from watching him. But, the dog had gotten killed from getting run over by a roller on the Thunderpath. She missed the dog, but she was the next in line to watch over the barn, and soon, the Twolegs would probably get another pet to do the job after Heather. Heather heard rustleing, but not from the hay, from outside of the barn. Heather unsheathed her claws andflipped around to see who was watching her. A huge black tom with yellow eyes and a white upside down triangle on his forehead. The tom glared at her, then padded into the barn and sniffed the air. ''What is he doing? ''Heather thought. She sat down and watched him as he began catching mice from in the barn. As he gathered up all o his freshly killed mice, Heather heard a door opening, shutting, and yowling of Twolegs. Heather spun around to see her Twolegs at the barn, glaring at the black tom. Then, they started to go for te tom, but the tom kept his ground and just growled. Heather leaped in front of the tom and hissed at the Twolegs. The Twolegs immediantly stopped and narrowed their eyes at her. Heather kept her position, without flinching, then the Twolegs just growled and left the barn. The tom nodded to Heather, picked up his kill, then padded out of the barn and out into the long grass. Where is he going? Does he live out there? Should I.......follow him? Heather thought, but her paws made her follow the tom into the long grass. Heather was amazed at the feel ofthe long grass, and the softness of the earth. She could finally feel what it was like to be out of the fence, and into the wild. As she followed the tom into the forest, she stopped when the tom halted and turned around slowly. "Why are you following me?" The tom hissed. ''Uh oh...... Heather thought and just stared at the tom. Chapter 2 "Why are you following me?" The tom hissed again. "I, uh, I, um, just, wanted to?" Heather staggered. She had to think of something to say before the wild tom tears her ears off........... The tom sighed and sat down. "Tell me you stupid fur ball or I'll cland you'll have to run back to your little Twoleg nest blind!" The tom growled as he shot off the ground again. Heather jumped and stepped back a little. "I just wanted to see where you were going." Heather meowed. There we go! ''"Well, I'm going back to my clan! What does it look like!" The tom spat. "You shouldn't be here! Go back to your dumb Twolegs." The tom hissed and began to pad away. Then Heather leaped onto the tom and pinned him down to the ground. "Tell me what you're doing, now!" Heather growled and clawed down his back fur. The tom flew her off of his back and sat down, his eyes narrowed. Heather padded back up to him and put her muzzle close to his. "So, what, are, you, doing?" Heather snarled and sat down in front of him. "I'm going back to clan. That's it." The tom sighed, feeling frustrated. "What's a clan?" Heather meowed, calming down to see he was actually talking to her. "Well, there are four warrior clans. Warriors are cats that live in the wild, not the cats that live in Twoleg nest like you." The tom explained more calmly. "We all live together in a clan, and we share prey with eachother. There are warriors, apprentices, elders, queens, kits, a leader, and a deputy. The leader watches over the whole clan, and makes sure there is balance with everyone, and nocat is stressed our or anything. The deputy is the helper of the leader. If the leader retires or dies, the deputy takes the leader's place, then that leader picks a new deputy. To become a deputy, you have to train an apprentice." The tom went on, sending Heather in a dreamland of the things the cat was telling her. "What is an apprntice?" Heather asked. "Apprentices are cats that have grew too big for the nursery. To get out of the nursery, you have to be six moons old. Then, you become an apprentice. Apprentices are assigned to warriors, and the warriors train them, the warriors are the apprentices' mentor. When the apprentices have finally completed their training, they turn into warriors and are read to receive warrior duties." The tom meowed. "What is your name?" Heather asked. The tom paused for a few moments. "Nightclaw." He meowed. "Nice to meet you Nightclaw. I'm Heather." Heather meowed. "Well, since I've told you everything else to do than this." Nightclaw meowed. "Would you like to join my clan?" He asked. Heather's mind went blank, and she was suddenly in a world of wonder. ''Is this really happening to me? Am I going to live in the wild once and for all? Then Heather was sent back to the real world and in front of Nightclaw. "Well?" Nightclaw asked, starting to grow impatient. "Yes! Yes!" Heather exclaimed. "Are you sure? The forest is harsh in leaf-bare, but it is three seasons away. It's the beginning of newleaf today. Is yes yourfinal answer?" Nightclaw meowed. Then Heather thought for a moment. Should she really leave the life of luxury and live in the wild with forest cats? Like Nightclaw said, the forest is harsh in leaf-bare, but it's so far away already. This is a once in a life time chance. I should take it! Heather thought then finally nodded to Nightclaw. Then Nightclaw led her up a steap hill, and she gazed down when she was at the top. It's so beautiful! ''Heather thought, trying to keep her thoughts inside. Then she began to run after Nightclaw down the hill, feeling the soft grass soothe her aching paws, from the journey following Nightclaw. ''I'm living a new life now, and I won't live under Twolegs again. But the Twoleg nest is warm and cozy, and what would happen in leaf-bare? Did I make the right choice? Chapter 3 "It's a kittypet! What is it doing here?!" A cat yowled in fury as Nightclaw and Heather began padding to a den in the crack of a rock. "Seastar?" Nigtclaw asked when they got to the cracked rock. "Yes?" A cat asked from in the rock. "I have to ask a huge favor of you." Nightclaw meowed and beckoned Heather to follow him into the cracked rock. The tom, Seastar, jumped to his paws when he saw Heather pad in with Nightclaw. "What is this kittypet doing here?" Seastar growled. "This, this is Heather. She asked to join to join our clan." Nightclaw explained. Seastar made a grunt of triumph. "So you just let her follow you into the camp?" Seastar growled. Nightclaw looked at his paws, then Heather stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "I made ''him take me here. I told him I would make a great warrior." Heather growled. Seastar sat down and studied Heather for a moment. "If you want to become a warrior, you ''must ''get rid of that collar." Seastar pointed out, spotting Heather's green collar. Heather nodded, her eyes still blazing. Nightclaw looked up again. "Is she going to stay, and train as an apprentice?" Nightclaw asked. "Yes. I shall announce it to the clan." Seastar meowed and padded out of his den. He leaped onto a giant tree branch near his den and ywlied to his clanmates. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, come join beneath the Tall Tree for a clan meeting!" Seastar yowled and the Seaclan cats gathered underneath the Tall Tree. Nightclaw led Heather at he foot of the tree and told her to listen carefully to Seastar. "Nightclaw has told me he has found a cat who should train as an apprentice in Seaclan!" Seastar explained. "We have to have apprentices training all of the time to make our clan strong with full trained warriors." Seastar continued. "Is that why that kittypet is here?" A gray tom hissed from the crowd and stepped forward. Seastar just ignored him and continued. "We are going to take in a kittypet who will be trained as a warrior with the other apprentices." Seastar yowled. Then Seaclan broke out into protest. "We don't take in outsiders!" A cat yowled. "Send it back to it's Twolegs!" Another cat hissed. "It's ''lucky ''to even becme an apprentice." Snarled the gray tom. "That cat is Flashthunder. He smells your fear, and so do the rest. You need to show him that you will not let your fear get in the way of your strength." Nightclaw whispered to Heather as Heather unsheathed her claws. "Your collar's little tinkling bell will alarm all of the prey in the forest, and we'll all starve! You have no reason to be hear, mousebrained kittypet!" Flashthunder spat. Then, Heather lunged herself at Flashthunder, flexing her claws until they sunk into fur and flesh. Heather and Flashthnder rolled around, clawing and biting and hissing at eachother, until Flashthunder had gotten his teeth around Heather's collar and pulled it tight. Heather was choking, when the collar snapped off and flew both cats backwards. Heather panted and got up to her four paws, while Flashthunder layed on the ground with the broken collar at his paws. Seastar leaped off of the Tall Tree and padded over to Heather. "The kittypet has lost the markings of it's Twolegs in a battle for her honor. She is welcome to train as a Seaclan apprentice." Seastar meowed. Some cats muttered to eachother but most of the cats yowled in happyness for Heather. "This apprentice will now be known as Heatherpaw, in honor of her reddish brown coat." Seastar meowed. "Heatherpaw! Heatherpaw! Heatherpaw!" Seaclan cheered. "Heatherpaw's mentor will be Meadowheart, and will traheart until her warrior ceremony." Seasta meowed then waved his tail to put the meeting to a close. One she-cat padded up to Heatherpaw and touched her nose to hers. "I'm Meadowheart. I'll be your mentor." The she-cat meowed. "Okay!" Heatherpaw meowed. "We will start your training tomorrow at sunhigh. No later, okay?" Meadowheart meowed and started to pad away. "Ok!" Heatherpaw called after Meadowheart. ''I have a new life now. There is no turning back. I now have to train as a wild cat. I've always wanted to be free, but did I make the right choice of leaving my old life of comfort for a new life of responsibility and work? Was this what I wanted? Chapter 4 Heatherpaw pinned dwn th mouse and killed it with a swift bite to it's neck. She had been in Seaclan four two moons now, and she was getting used to all of the cats in Seaclan. Another apprentice, Runningpaw, spent a lot of time with her. She getting really used to Runningpaw, and between them she had never felt before. "Great catch!" Runningpaw purred from behind. "Thanks!" Heatherpaw meowed then brought her mouse over to her mentor, Runningpaw, and Runningpaw's mentor, and placed it in the pile of prey they had made. "Well, we'd better get back to the camp!" Meadowheart meowed and the four cats picked up all the prey the could carry, and began padding out of the training hollow. Runningpaw and Heatherpaw was side by side, so close their pelts brushed, as they headed for the Seaclan camp. When they got up the tall hill, the ravine, they started to run down the hill as fast as they could. When they got to the camp, and dropped their prey in the fresh-kill pile circled around. "Okay, Heatherpaw, I'm going to take you on the night patrol tonight. Would you like to come too Runningpaw?" Meadowheart asked. "Can I Hollyfeather?" Runningpaw pleaded his mentor. The black she-cat hesitated for a moment. "Alright." Hollyfeather meowed, her purple eyes filled with happiness. "Thank you!" Runningpaw meowed. then padded to Heatherpaw. Runningpaw beckoned Heatherpaw with his tail as he began to pad towards the fresh-kill pile. As Heatherpaw followed him, Runningpaw picked up and mouse and padded to a tree stump. Heatherpaw grabbed a vole and followed Runningpaw to the tree stump and sat down to eat. As she ate the vole, looked at her with a sort of feeling in his eyes. When Heatherpaw finished the vole she buried the bones and looked back at him. Then they just sat there for a few moments and stared at eachother. Then Runningpaw began to eat his mouse, then buried the bones. Runningpaw got up to his forepaws and stretched. Heatherpaw did the same, then the two walked around the camp together, they're tails connected with eachother as they walked. Heatherpaw looked around the camp as they walked together, then saw a brown tom with yellow eyes and a fluffy tail watching her with love filled eyes. Heatherpaw looked back at him with joyful and happy eyes until Runningpaw stopped and turned to look at her. "What are you looking at?" Runningpaw asked, padding around her. "Just this brown tom over there. He's looking at me funny." Heatherpaw meowed and pointed to the fluffy tailed tom with her tail. "Oh, that's Squirrelpaw. He must like you." Runningpaw meowed worrily. Heatherpaw looked back at the tom and studied his eyes. ''Does Squirrelpaw love me? ''Heatherpaw thought to herself as she looked into Squirrelpaw's eyes. Heatherpaw waved her tail in hello and Squirrelpaw did the same to her. Then she turned back to look at Runningpaw. "What are we going to do now?" Heatherpaw asked Runningpaw. Runningpaw shrugged, then curved his tail around Heatherpaw's. "I guess we can just wait until Meadowheart takes us out on the night patrol." He purred. Heatherpaw purred back at him, then they kept on walking around the camp. Chapter 5 Heatherpaw and Runningpaw crept in the dark forest following Meadowheart across the border of the Desertclan and Seaclan territory. They stayed silent the whole trip, until Meadowheart stopped. "This is the Seaclan and Desertclan border. You must ''never ''cross it." Meadowheart whispered. "How will we tell where ther border is?" Runningpaw asked. "Smell the air here. You can smell Desertclan cat scent." Meadowheart replied. Runningpaw and Heatherpaw both sniffed the air. She was right. It smelt much stranger here, not like the familiar scents of the Seaclan side of the border. "There is another border on the other side of the forest that seperates Stormclan and Seaclan. And beyond the Desertclan border and the Stormclan border, is Fangclan. We will only see those cats mainly at Gatherings." Meadowheart explained to them. "The Gatherings! I can't wait to go to my first Gathering!" Runningpaw meowed excitedly. ''Apperantly these Gatherings are pretty exciting, ''Heatherpaw thought to herself in amusement. Runningpaw looked over at Heatherpaw. "Do you know what a Gathering is?" He asked. "No." Heatherpaw confessed, shuffling her paws. "Well, Gatherings are special meetings where all four clans meet in peace as the full moon shines in the sky. We don't fight there. But after we depart and the next day comes, we go back to our regular selves. You never want to make friends at Gatherings, because one day, you may meet them in battle." Meadowheart meowed. "Oh." Heatherpaw meowed. ''That sounds exciting, ''Heatherpaw thought. "Anyway, back to our night patrol. Follow me." Meadowheart meowed and she began getting deeper into the Seaclan territory again. As Heatherpaw and Runningpaw followed her, Heatherpaw became relieved to be smell Seaclan scent all around her. When they finally reached the path that led into the Seaclan camp, Meadowheart stopped and looked at them. "This is the path leading to the Seaclan camp. We will travel down this path on our way to the Gathering." Meadowheart meowed, then began to walk again, into the other side of the Seaclan territory. Afetr a while, Heatherpaw smelt something misty. Something, as if it were about to rain, or if it alreayd rained, or if it was still raining at the spot. Heatherpaw then relized that they were getting close to another border. When Meadowheart stopped, she tasted the air. "Who can tell me what border this is?" She asked. "The border separating Seaclan and Stormclan?" Heatherpaw guessed. "Yes! Very good Heatherpaw!" Meadowheart meowed happily. "Good job." Runningpaw purred to Heatherpaw. Then, Meadowheart led Heatherpaw and Runningpaw out of the forest and back into the Seaclan camp. Heatherpaw's and Runningpaw's belly rumbled, and Meadowheart purred in amusement. "Get something to eat, then get some rest. I'll take you out at sunhigh tomorrow, Heatherpaw. Runningpaw, you can ask your mentor if she can bring you out with us." Meadowheart meowed and padded towards the warrior's den. Heatherpaw and Runningpaw grabbed a squirrel from the fresh-kill pile and ate them quickly. Then, they padded to the apprentices den, curled up, and fell asleep. Chapter 6 Heatherpaw woke up by the shoving of a paw. "Wake up!" A cat whispered. Heatherpaw got up to her paws, stretched, then looked over to see the friendly face of Squirrelpaw. "Hi Squirrelpaw." Heatherpaw meowed. "Shh! Don't talk so loud! Follow me." Squirrelpaw whispered, then led Heatherpaw out of the apprentices den and over to the entrance of the camp. On the side of the entarnce was a large bracken bush, and Squirrelpaw leaped inside of it. Heatherpaw leaped in after him. "What did you want to talk to me about?" Heatherpaw asked. "Well, ever since you and Runningpaw started to be together, I haven't really got to know you." Squirrelpaw meowed. "Oh, ok." Heatherpaw meowed understandingly. Heatherpaw looked into Squirrelpaw's eyes. She saw a wave of love flash by as she stared into his eyes. "So, what do you want to know about me?" Heatherpaw asked. "Well, what is your favorite color, on a flower?" Squirrelpaw asked. "Probably one that is an ocean blue color." Heatherpaw meowed. Then, she heard the leaves around the bush rustle, and saw the face of Runningpaw shoot into the bush, glaring at Squirrelpaw. "What do you think you're doing?" Runningpaw hissed, grabbed Squirrelpaw by the scruff, and yanked him out of the bush. Heatherpaw padded out of the bush and watched the two apprentices. "I just wanted to get to know Heatherpaw better, since you never let me talk to her!" Squirrelpaw retorted. "Why do you need to get to know her better, huh? Do you really think you'll win Heatherpaw's heart?" Runningpaw hissed. Heatherpaw's heart clenched. Squirrelpaw loved her! No wonder why he snuck her into the bush! Heatherpaw watched the cats in silence. "Yes, I love Heatherpaw more than you do!" Squirrelpaw hissed. "Oh yeah right! I loved Heatherpaw ever since she fist walked into the camp!" Runningpaw growled. "So did I!" Squirrelpaw spat. "I don't care what you say, Heatherpaw, will be my mate!" Runningpaw hissed. "Heatherpaw ''will ''be mine!" Squirrelpaw vowed, then stalked off towards the camp entrance and padded out. Runningpaw ran over to Heatherpaw and licked her cheek. "Are you okay? What did he say to you?" Runningpaw asked. "He just asked my what my favorite color on a flower was, then you found us in the bush." Heatherpaw meowed. Category:Fan Fictions